If you’re in business then you’re in the experience business, no matter your industry

Every interaction with your customers is a chance to make a great impression. Not making your customers pay a surcharge when it’s time to settle their bill is a sure way to finish on a positive note. Being Surcharge Free is good for business and has been shown to directly improve customer loyalty.

Companies that don’t surcharge look at the bigger picture of the dollars they’ll gain and not the pennies they’ll lose.
Show your customers you appreciate their business by not surcharging.

Take the pledge today, wear your Surcharge Free status with pride and show how your business puts the customer first.

Want to know more?

Surcharge Free is a national movement that unites businesses under a shared customer service philosophy – being Surcharge Free creates a superior customer experience and is good for business. By sharing some of their stories, the movement aims to inspire more businesses to scrap payment surcharges and reap the benefits. Surcharge Free is backed by American Express and proudly supported by a collective of leading Australian retailers, business associations and advocates. The movement is spearheaded by consumer advocate and campaigner Christopher Zinn and follows the Government’s announcement earlier this year that it wants to end excessive surcharging in business.

While the movement is aimed at businesses, consumers can get involved too by spreading the word. If you know of a business that doesn’t surcharge, tell them about the Surcharge Free movement and encourage them to visit the website where they can pledge their support. You can also speak up when you are faced with a surcharge by letting the business know that you dislike being charged for using a card. You never know it might be the motivation they need to stop!

Word of mouth is hugely influential and so catering to our customers’ payment preferences is good for us. When we say: ‘no, we don’t surcharge’, they’re really grateful and it makes a difference. Loyal customers are loyal for a reason and staying Surcharge Free is a big part of this. It’s a really easy and cheap way to make a great impression.

Ensuring a superior and seamless experience at the point of sale is particularly important for online businesses. It’s much easier to walk away from making a purchase in the digital world compared to a bricks and mortar store. At THE ICONIC, we don’t want to have a stumbling block – like surcharging a card payment – at this stage in the customer journey as it could easily see them go elsewhere.

Customers in the 21st Century don’t expect to be surcharged, which is why it’s such an unpleasant surprise when they are. Successful businesses in this new digital economy will be those who look to keep things as simple, painless and efficient for their customers as possible – and this means doing away with surcharging.”

Do you want your customers’ final impression to be that, at the last minute, they were charged extra for the purchase? As consumers ourselves we all know it’s a bad feeling. Not only that, it creates an awkward shopping environment. Ultimately, going Surcharge Free gives customers a reason to shop with you over your competitors.

Our decision not to surcharge is part of the exceptional customer service we strive to deliver. The reality is, surcharging creates negativity in the customer experience and sends the wrong message about where a business’s priorities lie. This is just too high a price to pay for Coco Republic, which is why we’re proud to be part of Surcharge Free and hope to see many more businesses follow our lead.

We’re proud to say that surcharging card payments is not a business practice we apply at Platinum Restaurant Group. In fact, it’s a practice we encourage all others to scrap. We’re certainly seeing a host of wider benefits thanks to our decision.”

Congratulations on being a Surcharge Free business

Being Surcharge Free instantly puts you at a competitive advantage over businesses that surcharge.

Get Social

Let your customers know that you proudly don’t surcharge and get their feedback. You can use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to take the pledge. To help you get the conversation started you can use the sample posts we’ve created for you. Feel free to tweak them to reflect your own personal style.

Facebook

We put our customers first and are #SurchargeFree. We appreciate your business and respect your right to choose how you want to pay. www.surchargefree.com.au

Get Social

Let your customers know that you proudly don’t surcharge and get their feedback. You can use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to take the pledge. To help you get the conversation started you can use the sample posts we’ve created for you. Feel free to tweak them to reflect your own personal style.

Twitter

Our business has taken the #SurchargeFree pledge. We don’t surcharge our customers. Find out why – www.surchargefree.com.au.

Get Social

Let your customers know that you proudly don’t surcharge and get their feedback. You can use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to take the pledge. To help you get the conversation started you can use the sample posts we’ve created for you. Feel free to tweak them to reflect your own personal style.

LinkedIn

We’ve taken the #SurchargeFree pledge and joined the thousands of businesses that refuse to surcharge their customers. We, like them, realise that customer service is about more than what you sell. www.surchargefree.com.au

Your Details

We have 1000 complimentary “Proudly Surcharge Free” tent cards to give away. Simply fill in your details below and we’ll post one out to you so you can display it at your point of sale.

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